Hello folks,
Recently there has been a trend for using offset red dot sights on scopes for running and gunning and this has kind of moved into the hunting world.
Over here in Europe (depending on your jurisdiction) you can’t always use Night Vision / thermal optics for hunting at night so you tend to end up hunting using natural light and this requires a scope with good light transmission – usually this means a German / Austrian 8x56 scope (Personally I use an 8x56 Swarovski Kurz with a No.4 reticle and illuminated centre dot). The way this hunting usually works is that you will walk into your stand whilst it is still light and settle down for the evening and a wait for boar or maybe a fox.
Now I love that scope, it’s really clear and you sit behind the thing and you could look through it for hours. The problem is, if when walking in to a stand and you bump something, getting a quick, close shot off is quite difficult with that scope. So, I am wondering if this is where the offset red dot comes in.
There’s a guy in Sweden who has uses a similar system very well for running game with a zoom scope (but doesn’t go very low at minimum magnification so similar reasoning).
So, I’m going to try the offset red dot. Seems to me the favoured positions are:
12 o’clock – I don’t like the look of this: for a hunting rifle with a bit of kick I don’t like a “Chin-weld”
45 degree or 3 o’clock seems to be preferred for canting the rifle (though I think 3 o’clock might be better that 45 as the 45 looks a bit more chin weld to me).
9 o’clock. I don’t see this used very much but I wonder if you could use the red dot with the left eye and have the rifle mounted properly in the right shoulder?
Some shooters have experimented with the mount at ~430 but this seems to be really difficult to get to with a hunting rifle stock so not where I will try first.
Anyway, have set up the .22lr for initial practice with target acquisition and getting sight picture so we shall see how that goes then step up the calibres a bit
So, I had an initial go with the red dot and a crude zero and I found a couple of things:
12 o’clock and 1:30 / 45 degrees I did not like due to chin weld
3 o’clock was much better
For me I found it better to mount the red dot forward of the turrets, up near the objective bell (hit it much less with my hand)
I shot at 50 yds, each shot starting from rifle held horizontally in 2 hands and a bit above waist height.
This was the best of the groups with a crude zero. Not bad and I think something to work more on.
Anyone else tried an offset red dot on a bolt action? Practical experience or thoughts welcomed,
Best,
Scrummy
Recently there has been a trend for using offset red dot sights on scopes for running and gunning and this has kind of moved into the hunting world.
Over here in Europe (depending on your jurisdiction) you can’t always use Night Vision / thermal optics for hunting at night so you tend to end up hunting using natural light and this requires a scope with good light transmission – usually this means a German / Austrian 8x56 scope (Personally I use an 8x56 Swarovski Kurz with a No.4 reticle and illuminated centre dot). The way this hunting usually works is that you will walk into your stand whilst it is still light and settle down for the evening and a wait for boar or maybe a fox.
Now I love that scope, it’s really clear and you sit behind the thing and you could look through it for hours. The problem is, if when walking in to a stand and you bump something, getting a quick, close shot off is quite difficult with that scope. So, I am wondering if this is where the offset red dot comes in.
There’s a guy in Sweden who has uses a similar system very well for running game with a zoom scope (but doesn’t go very low at minimum magnification so similar reasoning).
So, I’m going to try the offset red dot. Seems to me the favoured positions are:
12 o’clock – I don’t like the look of this: for a hunting rifle with a bit of kick I don’t like a “Chin-weld”
45 degree or 3 o’clock seems to be preferred for canting the rifle (though I think 3 o’clock might be better that 45 as the 45 looks a bit more chin weld to me).
9 o’clock. I don’t see this used very much but I wonder if you could use the red dot with the left eye and have the rifle mounted properly in the right shoulder?
Some shooters have experimented with the mount at ~430 but this seems to be really difficult to get to with a hunting rifle stock so not where I will try first.
Anyway, have set up the .22lr for initial practice with target acquisition and getting sight picture so we shall see how that goes then step up the calibres a bit
So, I had an initial go with the red dot and a crude zero and I found a couple of things:
12 o’clock and 1:30 / 45 degrees I did not like due to chin weld
3 o’clock was much better
For me I found it better to mount the red dot forward of the turrets, up near the objective bell (hit it much less with my hand)
I shot at 50 yds, each shot starting from rifle held horizontally in 2 hands and a bit above waist height.
This was the best of the groups with a crude zero. Not bad and I think something to work more on.
Anyone else tried an offset red dot on a bolt action? Practical experience or thoughts welcomed,
Best,
Scrummy
